


A New Lease

by Upstarsfromreality



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Fake legalese, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23120488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Upstarsfromreality/pseuds/Upstarsfromreality
Summary: Mrs. Hudson can be protective, too.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	A New Lease

Cindy smiled to herself as she started tea for her ten o'clock client. Cindy knew she could have moved on as she moved up in her career, but this client had shown her just where she wanted to go with her career as a solicitor. Even if she now had a somewhat boring focus on passing her principal non-liquid asset, a Victorian brick three-flat building, on to the young man she saw as a son intact, Cindy would never abandon her first client. Other clients could bring her the satisfying, and occasionally well paying, intersection between property law, family law, and criminal law to which this client had introduced her. 

Besides, Cindy admitted to herself, she appreciated the entertainment value of crafting creative but truthful defenses to traffic charges related to the client's other non-liquid asset, a fiery-red Aston Martin. Mrs. Hudson was fun.

"Good morning, Mrs. Hudson. You said you needed to update the lease before a new tenant moves in?" asked Cindy.

"Old one moves back, dear," corrected Mrs. Hudson. "He has a little girl now, so we'll need forms for a non-rent paying dependent. And there's something else we'll need."

Cindy took two minutes to stick in some forms for the little girl and add a couple lines to the agreement, both of which Mrs. Hudson could have done herself. "Mrs. Hudson, does the other matter also concern this lease?"

"Oh yes, dear," said Mrs. Hudson, taking out a form. "My husband used a couple rental properties to launder money, and control the dancers by being their landlord back in Florida. We were required to attach this Crime-free Multi Unit Agreement to our leases. Do you imagine you could write something up that's exactly the opposite?"

Cindy scanned the document. "Oh, yes," she confirmed. "I can see why that might be problematic. But please tell me: do you think the need for the exact opposite is likely to come into play here? Does it have something to do with what you went through with Frank?"

"Problematic is about right," said Mrs. Hudson. "Some of those girls were rationing their 999 -it was 911 over there - calls even when they had just been beaten. And yes, it does involve how I got along with Frank. I know you think I'm just being a silly old woman. He's my friend, or he has been my friend. And I know he'd never make his money the same way. But I am starting to wonder whether he and Frank are the same kind of man. If he is, Sherlock might be about to do something extremely foolish."

"But he has acted protectively in the past?" asked Cindy. "And you want him to retain that ability in the future?" 

"Oh, yes, he's been a literal life-saver," said Mrs. Hudson. "But that's mainly when they've been out and about. Of course I want him to keep doing it. We've been broken into, you know."

"I'll limit protected parties to residents and guests, then," said Cindy. "Out and about is a valid concern, though. Would you like me to add off-premises behavior with regards to residents?"

"See there, I knew you'd think of everything. This last time was in a morgue, you know."

Cindy winced internally at the admission that something had actually happened. "What about anything else, drugs, maybe?" she asked. 

"Of course not, dear. Sherlock is trying, but he still struggles. I'd never want him to feel like he couldn't come home if he were to relapse."

Cindy nodded. "You've given me enough to write up what you want, Mrs. Hudson. Will it work if I post the copies by Tuesday?" 

"Of course, dear, that's plenty of time. John doesn' t move in until Friday."

***************************

"Sherlock, could you come down for a few minutes?" asked Mrs. Hudson. "I'd like to update the lease since John's moving in. I've got some papers for you to sign."

Sherlock came down, grabbed a biscuit and accepted some tea. Mrs. Hudson set the sheaf of lease papers before him. He went through them, signing quickly. Mrs. Hudson could never really tell the difference between Sherlock's speed reading and his ignoring of written material, but without duress the signatures would be legal either way. 

Sherlock must have been reading, though, because when he got to the last document he looked up at her. He looked back at it and started to read again, slowly this time. He put the pen down. "This isn't necessary. He wouldn't ever."

"He already did, dear. Mycroft showed me the video. But if it makes it easier, you can think of it as a seventy-six-year-old woman protecting herself and her two-year-old granddaughter."

"You know he'd never hurt either of you," countered Sherlock.

"Protecting Rosie from having to see it then. It won't stop him from moving here, and I won't stop you from letting him move here. But if that document can make him stop and think before something happens, or get him out once it has happened once before it happens again, it will be worth it."

"He might not sign."

"He can't stay here if he doesn't, Sherlock. I think you need to think about whether that's something you'd agree to yourself."

Sherlock opened his mouth to protest, shut it, and looked at Mrs. Hudson again. He picked up the pen, initialed, and signed.

*************************

John brought his first load of things over Friday morning. Mrs. Hudson met him at the door. "Hello, John. I've been updating the lease for when you and Rosie move in. Could you stop downstairs to sign some things before you bring that up?"

"Of course, Mrs. Hudson," said John, walking in.

Mrs. Hudson got him a cup of tea, the lease, and a pen. John's initial rate wasn't as fast as Sherlock's, but he, too, slowed down and looked up when he came to the last document. He blinked, then looked back down at the page. He blinked again and looked up at Mrs. Hudson. "This isn't a standard attachment, is it?" he asked.

"No," said Mrs. Hudson, "I had that one drawn up."

"You found that necessary?"

"I did."

"Good. Sherlock won't need it because of me, of course, but it's good you're looking out for him." 

"He does need it because of you, John. I saw the video."

John's face twisted in shame. There was no hiding now. He looked back at the and read the words that convicted him:

**************************

SAFE RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT AGREEMENT

____ Tenant recognizes the right of all residents of 221 Baker Street to a safe living environment.

____ Tenant has the right to call 999 anytime violence occurs or is threatened against tenant's self or any other resident of 221 Baker Street, without prejudice to the Rental Agreement, regardless of the number of previous calls to 999.

____ Tenant agrees never to threaten or initiate violence against any other resident of 221 Baker Street, either on the premises or elsewhere, or against invited guests of any resident of 221 Baker Street on the premises.

____ Tenant recognizes that violence perpetrated or threatened against any other resident of 221 Baker Street, either on the premises or elsewhere, or against any invited guest of any resident of 221 Baker Street on the premises, shall result in notice to quit. 

____ Tenant recognizes that if notice to quit is issued according to the terms of the previous clause of this agreement, and tenant does not quit, eviction proceedings shall begin.

_______________ Martha M Hudson

_______________Tenant __________________

***********************

John read it through one more time, sighed, picked up the pen, initialed, and signed. "For what it's worth, I'm in anger management classes now. And AA."

"I think you're the one who can decide what that's worth, dear," said Mrs. Hudson. 

John nodded. "I'll make it worth it." He looked one more time at the Agreement. "I'll make certain that doesn't come into play."

"I hope so, dear," said Mrs. Hudson. "Either way, things will be different now."


End file.
